Vacuum-tank



W. SPARKS.

VACUUM TANK.

APPUCAHON min FEB.H3,19|9.

1,343,5 9 1 Patented June 15, 1920.

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UNITED s'rA'res PATENT xorifice.

l' WILLIAM SPARKS, 0F JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

VACUU'lI-TAHK.

Zballwhcm t may concern.'

.- Be 'it known that I, WILLIAM SPARKS, a

of the United States of-America and resident of Jackson, in the county of .lackson, in the State of Michigan, have 1nvented new and useful Improvements in Vacuum-Tanks, of which the following, taken .connection Vwith the accompanying .drawin'gs, is a full, clear, and exact description.

i This invention relates to certain improvements in liquid feeding devices commonly `known as ,vac,uum'tanxks, designed for use, particularly in supplying liquid fuel to internal combustion engines of automobiles, and the like, in connection with which it is 1 Yi Often desirable to hme the primary tank carried on the vehicle at a level below the carburetor. *D The object of the invention is to provide a device of relatively simple construction and high eliiciency in automatic operation, 4and to'which the liquid fuel is elevated as by the suction of the engine and from which the fuel may be continuously charged to be fed by gravity' to Va vaporizing device as 4for instance to the float chamber of a ccmmercial carbureter.

The important feature of improvement in the combination named is the under liquid normally open valve between the two chambers of the vacuum tank, so that when the suction starts in the u per chamber, the valve between the two cllambers Vis immediately closed without the passage of air from the lower to the up er chamber, which passage 'of air, if it s Ould take place, would tend to produce vacuum in the lower chaml ber and in the carbureter, and to neutralize the vacuum in Athe upper chamber. The under liquid condition of this valve is the very essenceof this invention broadly considered.

In4 the drawin s I have illustrated two structural metho s of accomplishing this vo ect.

igure 1 is a sectional elevation of a vacuum tank embodying the features of this invention. r y

Fig. 2 shows a modified structural means gf communication between the .two chamers.

Fig. Bfis a1 cross-section on line 3-3,

I i 1 s stated the device is especially designed n `or'usc iny connection-with automobiles em matically supply Vacuum Speoloation of Letters Patent. Ptentd un@ 15, 1920. Application med February 18, 191?. Serial No. 277,794.

bodying` internal combustion engines, the vacuum tank portion thereof ma be positioned at any point upon the vehic e to autofuelto the carburetor, as by 'grav1ty, an in practice is positioned some distance above the carburetor and above the primary lfuel tank.

As shown, the invention comprises the tank -1- having suitable connection through a pipe 2 with a primary fuel tank, (not shown), a second connection as through pi e --`3- with any source of suction, as the manifold (not shown), of an engine and a 'third connection as through pipe -4 with a carbureter (not shown).

The tank -1 is formed of a sheet metal tubular body portion -5- preferably cylindrical in form and having its lower end closed by wall -6- and divided into two chambers ''7- and -8- by an annular transverse wall 9-, havin an axillary extending flange -10 tight fitting within the tubular body portion and secured thereto in any suitable manner as by soldering or the like. The transverse Wall -9- is provided 4with a central openin Within which is fitted a flanged circular mshing 1lwhich may, as shown, be internally threaded for the reception of en externally threaded portion 12- upon a discharge nipple -13-, havin a materially enlarged portion -15- atY its ower end to permit the rapid discharge of fluid, when the valve 16- opens upon partial neutralization 0f the in chamber -7. The valve 16- is preferably supported in an angular position with reference to the substantially horizontal downwardly facing valve seat formed by the lower end of nipple -13-, and this is accomplished by means.

of a series of angular fingers -17, in this instance, three in number, spaced substantially equidistant from each other, and one` of the same projecting a materially shorter distance below the nipple m13 than the other two.. The nipple -13- may, as shown in Fig. 1, project only a short distance into the upper portion of `chamber -8-, `and for the purpose of keeping the valve 16 at all times immersed in liquid, a cup like structure -18- is shown inclosing the rnipple -13- and suitably supported, as by securement to the cross wall 9,- either by rivets or otherwise. -This cup-like member -18- is provided with a discharge opening or openings L9- some distance above the lower termination of nipple -13-. These openings should be of sufficient number and sufficient size to permit rapid escape of all liquid that can be conveyed by nipple -13- and discharged from the same when valve 1.6- is open.

In Fig. 2, I have disclosed a modified formof normally open under liquidl valve in which the nipple -13- is replaced by'an elbow sha ed nipple 13 discharging laterally an having a valve seat inclined downwardly awa from the vertical plane passing throu h its upper position, so that valve '16' loose y carried by studs extending outwardly from the nipple, normally by gravity seeks an open vertical osition, permitting free escape of the li ui in the upper chamber, but due to its un( er li uid condition closing immediately upon t c production of vacuum in the upper chamber.

The'bushing l1- may support a spider -19-3 having a passageway alined with nipple 13f for the reception of valve stem -20- carrying valve --21- for closing the passage-way 22- permitting communication between chamber -7- and pipe -3-. The operation of valve 2lis controlled by float -23 positioned within the chamber -7- and mounted upon and rigidly secured to valve stem --2-.

'The pipe 3- may be secured to coverl plate -24- in any suitable manner 'as by coacting threads and for the purpose of rigidly securing the cover -24- to the tubular body #5)-, a ring-shaped angle har -25- preferably formed of sheet metal with one of its walls -26` formed of one thickness of the sheet metal telescoped externally with the body and its other wall 27- of two thicknesses of the sheetmetal extending radially and inwardly of the body -5- to form a seat for packinor 2S- u on which the cover plate rests. 'l he cover plate may be secured to the angle bar as by screws -29-, extendino' through the late into the bar. The nipprle 30-, to vi ch the pipe -2- is secured is likewise connected to engagement with flange 3l-- formed upon the cover plate.

An air inlet conduit --32- communicates with Athe chamber -7M through the cover Q4- and ma be securedv thereto in any suitable way as y coacting threads.

A disk B3- may be provided secured to the inner faceof the cover plate for forming a seat for an inwardly closing valve -34 controlling-a communication between the conduit -32- and chamber 7-. This valve is actuated by s rings -35- and +36- each having one en moving with thefloat, the other end of spring 5 35- connecting to lever -37 pivotally secured to the cover plate, the other end of spring 36- connected tol flange -38- projecting downward from the cover plate.

The construction and operation of this portion of the device is substantiall; the same as that disclosed in Letters latent Number 1,255,347, issued to me February 5, 1918.

The operation of the apparatus herein described will be readily understood Without the necessity of further description.

Although I have shown and described a specific construction as illustrative of my invention and the appurtenances in connection`with which the same may be used, I do not desire to limit myself to the same as various changes `may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of this invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, an upper chamber havin an air exhaust, au air inlet and a fuel inlet, a second chamber, having a fuel discharge, a partition wall separating said chambers, a nipple depend ing from said partition wall and forming a means of communication between said chambers, a valve controlling the discharge of fuel from said nipple into said second chamber, and a cu like member surrounding said nozzle an secured at its open end to said partition wall, and having a die charge for fuel located above said valve.

2. In a device of the class described, an upper chamber having an air exhaust, an air inlet and a fuel inlet, a second chamber, having a fuel discharge, a partition wall separating said chambers, a nipple depending from said partition wall and formmg a means of communication between ,said chambers, a valve controlling the discharge of fuel from said nipple into said second chamber, and a cu -like member surrounding said nozzle an secured at its open end to said partition wall, and havin a discharge for fuel through its .side wa l above said valve.

3. In a. ldevice of the class described, an upper chamber having an air exhaust, an air inlet and a fuel inlet, a second chamber having a fuel discharge, a partition wall separating said chambers, a nip le depending from said partition wall an formmg a means of communication between saidchambers, a norm ally open valve controlling surrounding said nozzle and secured at its open end to said partition wall, and having a discharge for fuel located above said valve.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand. y

WILLIAM SPARKS. Witnesses:

LrLLtN WUNonnLrcH, E. A. THoursoN. 

